Magazine Article | October 17, 2013

IP Video Surveillance 101: Licensing, Certification, And Training

As the video surveillance market heats up, standing out among your competitors as a certified expert is more important than ever.

According to research from IHS, by 2014 the global market for network-based video surveillance will reach $7 billion, surpassing for the first time analogvideo system sales, which are forecast to be $6.5 billion. As the IP surveillance continues to grow, resellers find themselves running up against a growing number of competitors. Besides the various ways you can sell and position bundled solutions, there’s no substitute for IP video surveillance expertise. I spoke with industry experts from Arecont Vision, Axis Communications, LILIN USA, and Samsung to get their advice on the best ways to gain expertise and distinguish yourself from your competitors.

Begin With IP Video Licensing Requirements
One of the most confusing aspects of becoming an IP video surveillance expert is learning which licenses, certification, and training are required — or even necessary. “Only licensing is required for VARs or integrators to become qualified to install IP cameras, and the rules vary from state to state,” says Tim Hsu, national sales manager for LILIN USA. “The state of Texas, for example, includes video surveillance rules on its website [www.txdps.state.tx.us] under a section called ‘Regulatory Services’ and under the subtopic ‘Private Security.’ The 49-page document, which also includes rules for private security personnel and physical security access-control systems, highlights all the licenses and examination fees required to install security cameras in the state of Texas.” For example, to become an authorized video surveillance system installer in Texas, a company needs to obtain (at a minimum) a class B security services contractor license, which costs $400.

“Several municipalities have low-voltage electric regulations that require additional licensing and/ or certification,” says Ted Brahms, director of field applications at Arecont Vision. “This covers the physical portion of an installation only, which entails installing cameras and running network cabling.” Beyond the basic licensing required by a state or local municipality, there can be additional requirements for specific markets. “For example, if the installation is in a casino, there may be additional state gaming-commission certification regulations that apply,” says Frank De Fina, senior vice president, sales North America, Samsung Techwin America. “Generally, relevant educational courses that may be applied to various certifications are offered through the Security Industry Association [SIA], Electronic Technicians Association [ETA], and National Institute for Certification in Engineering Technologies [NICET], and applicable professional certifications are available through the American Society of Industrial Security [ASIS].”

Select Viable Vendor, Industry Certifications
Each of the experts I spoke with feels that acquiring
certifications is important for video surveillance
VARs. "A certified employee will save company
time, effort, and money. In fact, it's even better if a
company can certify multiple employees to ensure
it doesn't rely too heavily on one person who may
not always be available," says Hsu.

When it comes to certifications, there
are two primary categories: industry
certifications and manufacturer certifications.
"Manufacturer certifications are an
excellent supplement to industry certifications,
and together they form a solid
educational foundation," says Randy
Salimen, educational services manager
at Axis Communications. He's quick to
point out, however, that not all vendor
certification programs are created
equal. "Beware of empty certifications,
which are awarded for simply finishing
a course or completing a test with ‘softball' questions," says Salimen. "Instead, look for
certifications that are earned by successfully passing
tests administered by independent testing centers
such as Prometric. Also, the certifications should
focus on IP video technology as a whole, not just
one manufacturer's products."

Two certifications that Salimen recommends
every video surveillance expert should have are
the BICSI (Building Industry Consulting Service
International) RCDD (Registered Communications
Distribution Designer), which is a physical IT
infrastructure certification, and ASIS PSP (Physical
Security Professional), which demonstrates security
design expertise. According to the BICSI website, to
sit for the RCDD certification examination, an applicant
needs either five years IT systems (ITS) design
experience or two years verifiable ITS design experience
and three years additional ITS equivalents
chosen from combinations of experience, approved
education, and approved ITS license/certification.
The test comprises 120 multiple-choice questions
that must be completed within a 3-hour time limit,
and it's closed book. "The ASIS PSP certification
requires applicants to have a high school diploma,
GED equivalent, or associate degree plus six years
of progressive physical security experience or a
bachelor's degree plus four years of progressive
physical security experience," says Salimen. "The
certification test includes 125 multiple-choice questions,
and prep courses are available." The cost for
each certification, which includes the application
and test, is approximately $400 to $650, depending
on whether the applicant is a member of the corresponding
association or not.

Beware Of Knowledge Gaps
In IP Video Expertise
Becoming an expert at installing and troubleshooting
video surveillance cameras and VMS (video
management software) is an essential requirement
to becoming an IP video surveillance expert, but
that knowledge alone does not cover all your
bases, according to Brahms. "There is a definite
gap between the physical and network sides of an
IP video installation, and I'm not aware of a single
comprehensive certification that covers it all," he
says. One organization Brahms recommends for
networking training is CompTIA, which offers a
Network+ certification program that covers managing,
maintaining, troubleshooting, operating, and
configuring basic network infrastructures. The cost
to take the certification exam is $261, but some
VARs will need to first take a preparation course,
which can add several hundred dollars, depending
on whether you buy a book and learn at your own
pace (approximately $30) or enroll in a training program
(starting at $400 for e-learning courseware).

Another reputable source for network certification
that Brahms recommends is the Cisco CCNA (Cisco
Certified Network Associate), which also confirms
a candidate's fundamental networking knowledge.
Similar to CompTIA, the actual exam cost averages
around $200, but you can easily pay 10 times that
amount preparing yourself or one of your employees
for the exam.

Keep Your Licenses, Certifications Current
One final tip to keep in mind with regard to becoming
licensed and certified to sell IP video surveillance
solutions is that licensing and certification
is not a "one and done" process — you'll need to
maintain your certification status through ongoing
education, training, and in some instances retesting
every so many years. "Because many states require
continued education in order to maintain certification,
vendors and distributors often provide classes
that meet the continued education requirements,"
says De Fina. Samsung, for example, created the
Samsung Techwin IP Institute (SIPI) to address the
growing need for higher level technical expertise in
the expanding IP video integration space. "The SIPI
training provides technical salespeople, security
firms, and systems integrators with the basic skills
needed to design a scalable video network for a
small-to-midsize client," he says. "All participants
receive 15 CEC [certificate of equivalent competency]
credits that can be used for industry-recognized
certifications such as ASIS and BICSI."

Axis Communications also offers its own certification
program, which includes a closed-book,
third-party-administered exam to verify a candidate's
competency. "To help partners successfully
obtain certification, we developed the Axis
Communications Academy, which provides a broad
offering of training, including the recent addition of
a week-long boot camp," says Salimen.

For VARs and systems integrators who may feel
a little overwhelmed knowing where to begin with
the various licensing and certification options mentioned
above, working with your IP video surveillance
distributor account rep can be a good place to
start — especially if the distributor represents several
competing video surveillance vendor products,
which increases the chances that you'll receive an
unbiased opinion. Video surveillance associations
such as ASIS, BICSI, ETA, NICET, and SIA can be
great resources to help ensure you're arming your
business with all the video surveillance certifications
and ongoing training you'll need to distinguish
yourself from your competitors.